


A Sight For Sore Eyes

by Tequila_Mockingbird



Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Disabled Character, Fluff, Gen, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 14:11:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1350298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tequila_Mockingbird/pseuds/Tequila_Mockingbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Florian told Karal to look for him among the Herald-Trainees, so Karal did. Well. Altra did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sight For Sore Eyes

If you happened to be a cat (which Altra was) and you happened to live in the Palace Complex at Haven (which Altra did) and the young man whose eyes you frequently happened to function as had a particular interest in the newly Chosen (which Sun’s Ray Karal Austreben, SunPriest, Archdeacon and Her Holiness’s personal Ambassador to Valdemar, Hardorn, and Iftel did) then you saw a lot of Heraldic trainees over the years (which Altra had).

The sight of yet another gangly teen with wide eyes perched precariously on the back of a Companion—overgrown horses that they were—had long since ceased to compel any real emotion from the Firecat. But Karal wanted to see all of the newly Chosen, and if Karal was going to “see” anything, Altra was going to have to see it as well.

 _This_ , he thought, attacking a particularly recalcitrant patch of fur on the far side of this left forepaw, _must be the… what? 83rd? 86th? Herald-Trainee I’ve been dragged out to peer at. For Vkandis’s own sake, the man’s married and twice a father… surely he has better things to do than waste his time and mine wandering around courtyards beaming at confused adolescents._

Although, Altra realized, this was better than spending time with the aforementioned children. He lay down again with the stalwart look of a cat who has been patient with small children more than his God should require of any servant. _Those twins_ , Altra groused, _would test the patience of the Sunlord himself!_  


“Altra! Altra!” Karal’s cane tapped the flagstones impatiently.

The Firecat stretched and yawned to demonstrate that he was looking up because he _chose_ , not because anyone had called him like some sort of pet.

Here it was. Another clattering of hooves, another starry-eyed youngling thrilled to be Chosen, and another painfully smug Companion. Altra smoothed a whisker. This was one he knew—Lavani. She pranced into the courtyard, carrying… Altra’s tail puffed up as he heard Karal’s gasp… a young man, dirty blond hair flopping in his cheery blue eyes, awkward and lanky.

The boy looked around. “Er. Heyla? Herald-Trainee Flavian here, with Lavani? Do I, um—”

“Heyla, Herald-Trainee. I am Karal, and I’ve become a sort of informal greeting committee. Welcome to Haven.” As Karal helped the young man off the Companion and inside, talking all the way, his voice filled with smiles.

Altra curled up in the sunshine, put his head on his paws… and purred.


End file.
